Is Lanqi Doing Well in the Protos Empire?

The Ice Snow Witch and Hyperion sat on one side of a sofa in the middle of the great hall. Dinner was already laid out on the coffee table before them. Though not a lavish feast, the meal was exceedingly exquisite, mostly consisting of soft pastries made by blending snow dew with the specialty wheat flour of Gedaria. A gentle press released a faint floral fragrance, and their snow-white crusts were dusted with fruit-infused rock sugar like crystalline snowflakes, each glimmering with an enticing luster. Before long, mentor and disciple finished their meal together. "Go get some rest. More lessons await you tomorrow," the Ice Snow Witch said to Hyperion with a smile. "All right. Please rest early as well, Teacher." Hyperion bade farewell to the Ice Snow Witch, rose, bowed to her once more, and headed toward the exit of the great hall. During this period, Hyperion spent almost every day by the Ice Snow Witch's side, undergoing special training at times and assisting her with church affairs like a secretary at others. She was, in short, well looked after by her, and over the past month she had grown quite familiar with the royal capital of Gedaria. In a letter sent to Dean Loren, the Ice Snow Witch had also mentioned that Hyperion was staying with her and that his student Lanqi had likely reached the Protos Empire alone. However, given the long sea route, if all went smoothly, Dean Loren in Ikerite on the Southern Continent would still need a few days before receiving the church's confidential letter. Stepping out of the great hall and closing the heavy stone doors, Hyperion was still immersed in the insights from her recent training, her footsteps measured and slow. Along the temple corridor, soft lamplight bathed the ancient stone walls, making each pillar appear all the more sacred and dignified. "Miss Almis gives the impression of a mature and composed adult woman too..." Hyperion found herself thinking for some reason. Before coming to the Northern Continent, and after arriving in the Northern Continent, there had always been someone taking care of her. Although both the Ice Snow Witch and Tata seemed aloof on the surface, spending time with them revealed a much gentler side. Of course, there were stark differences between them as well. In truth, the Ice Snow Witch was gentle toward everyone; she simply limited her interactions with those she did not know well. Tata, on the other hand, was gentle only toward her. There was one question Hyperion could not quite figure out. Even though she was cared for by two mature women, the Ice Snow Witch felt like a respected teacher, whereas Tata felt like a mother. The more she compared the two, the more obvious it became. Just what details caused such a divergence in her feelings? In any case, she realized she was starting to miss Tata. She wanted to finish her work early, then bring Lanqi back with her to see Tata. A quiet, ordinary life was the truest blessing after all. Tata was probably busy running Boss Cat Restaurant with Senior Asna every day. She wondered how they were doing back in the royal capital of Ikerite. Walking down the corridor, her heart lingering on those dear to her, Hyperion encountered many members of the clergy. Each gave Hyperion a friendly nod or greeting. "Keep at it, Hyperion!" a young priestess called out, waving with words of encouragement. "Good evening, Miss Hyperion," an elderly temple clerk said warmly. Hyperion politely replied to each of them in turn. Finally, she arrived before the grand gates of the temple. Night had fallen, and stars dotted the expansive sky. Hyperion took a deep breath of the cool night air. Looking back at the towering temple, her heart filled with gratitude and determination, and with a faint smile on her face, she stepped into the night. Hyperion had originally been a believer in the Goddess of Fate. Now she had become the student of the church's Saintess, and before long, she would help the church carry out an important mission. When Almis asked her, she had gladly seized the opportunity to join the Church of the Goddess of Fate. Typically, one had to possess steadfast faith and pass trials to become a cleric; once ordained, one had to work for the church and fulfill clerical duties. Ever since she was a child, Hyperion had aspired to become a noble cleric. Yet when she was very young, many children had mocked her, scoffing that a half-demon could ever dream of becoming a cleric. That had made her walk into temples in Ikerite with utmost caution, never daring to let anyone discover what she harbored in her heart. To think that here, in a foreign land, she had actually become part of the Goddess of Fate's temple. Of course, the responsibility she shouldered was extraordinarily arduous. The immense pressure left her no choice but to pour every ounce of effort into her training. There was another gain: she could now cast divine magic as well. It was just that her Mind stat was on the lower side. Even with high faith, most support-type divine spells she cast yielded mediocre results. Lanqi, meanwhile, was the opposite extreme. His Mind stat was high, but from the bottom of his heart, he did not believe in deities at all, rendering him entirely incapable of using divine magic. For Hyperion, only offensive divine magic worked well, possessing specialized effects against evil-aligned creatures. Naturally, it came with a damage bonus against herself as well, inflicting excruciating pain if turned on her own body. After learning divine magic, the very first thing she did was test it on herself. Because she truly couldn't find another target... and a half-demon being able to use divine magic was quite miraculous in itself... "The Kingdom of Asethelan is truly wonderful," Hyperion sighed wistfully as she walked along the tree-lined streets of the Forest City. Even without her status as a duke's daughter, and even with everyone knowing she was a demon half-blood, she was still treated with respect. She felt thoroughly content living in this kingdom. Yet Lanqi was far to the south, in the Protos Empire—a realm whose culture was the complete antithesis of Asethelan, suffocatingly dark and oppressive. She wondered if he was doing well. ... Meanwhile, on the other side. In the Protos Empire's imperial capital, Herrom, the sky was equally somber. On this winter night, the academy was wrapped in a quiet, chilling desolation. The complex of dark gray stone and steel featured spires and pointed-arch windows that stood out with somber majesty in the night. Streetlamps illuminated the frost-covered walls, casting deep shadows like black gemstones. The clock on the tower approached seven o'clock. Of the twelve-hour Monthly Evaluation Day running from nine in the morning until nine at night, only two hours remained. During the final period, all backend interference permissions would cease, and the evaluation venue would be broadcast publicly throughout the academy. Typically, these two hours served as a valuable reference and learning opportunity for lower-year students who were not participating. Twelve hours was too long, but two hours was just right. Ordinarily, most third-years wouldn't pay much attention to the Monthly Evaluation Day unless a junior they took an interest in was participating, glancing up casually only when passing by. Today's Monthly Evaluation Day was different. A sizable number of upper-year students had gathered specifically before the magical screens in front of the central building with good viewing angles, waiting for the public broadcast—an unusual sight that left lower-year students quite surprised. "..." In the crowd, many figures exchanged glances. Even without asking, they knew why the others had come. In the past couple of days, a newly arrived bastard had made them grind their teeth in hatred. Upon learning that this fellow would be participating in the Monthly Evaluation Day as an aristocratic student's attendant, they had put bounties on Luoqi McCarthy without a second thought. Only as more and more figures gathered in the plaza before the central building did they realize that well over a hundred people had likely placed anonymous bounties on Luoqi McCarthy! "That dog really has no fear of making enemies, huh?" "Doesn't matter. The higher the bounty, the greater the entertainment." "Pfft, he's probably facing a manhunt worse than death." Voices rose and fell. Some even grinned with sinister anticipation. They had come here precisely to see just how brutally this guy had been executed for his bounty.